Solyndra Execs Take the Fifth

Mark Hemingway

September 20, 2011 4:54 PM

Sometimes in politics appearing guilty can have more consequences that actually being guilty (though the two frequently are related). And this latest development in the Solyndra scandal certainly looks bad:

Oversight subcommittee chairman Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla.,, speaking to bloggers at the Heritage Foundation last week, said the executives called the committee staff and asked whether they would be allowed to delay their testimony until this week. If they were granted the additional time, they said they'd agree not to exercise their Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions, according to Stearns.

But today, Reuters reports that the executives' lawyers advised them against answering questions.

Spokesmen from the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Stearns' office were contacted by the Examiner, but did not provide immediate comment.